Tuesday, August 31, 2010

To be able to find a common ground, it is essential to recognize and go beyond our respective cultural nuances. All people view the events of life through their own cultural ﬁlters.Since the cultural filters are very different from each other, there will be conflicts but we need to change the ways of conflict resolution.When we begin to look beyond our cultural filters and linguistic interferences, we would see that deep inside all societies advocate for forgiveness, peace and love.

The holy Quran says, “In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate”. Jesus was not advocating for revenge and hatred when he said, “Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either”. The Dalai Lama positslove and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive. Buddha said, “Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule. Rabbi Menachem Mendle said, “Our only way out is to learn compassion without cause. To care for each other simply because that ‘other’ exists”. Mahatma Gandhi objected to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.

Clearly, God used all languages to give the message of love, forgiveness and compassion. If I am going away from this message, I am actually going away from my creator.

Monday, August 30, 2010

After traveling a little bit around the world and meeting people with different colors and languages, I have realized that there are loads of things that are common amongst all of us. Now, you may ask what is new in this statement. The unique thing in this statement is that this is my understanding. The good news is that one more person has internalized the fact that we all come from the same source and we are one, no matter where, we live, what language we speak, what type of food we eat and what clothes we wear.

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In my profession I have had opportunities to support people from India, Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka, France, Switzerland, United States of America, Thailand, Maldives and every time I saw tears in one’s eyes, it generated the same pain in my heart. The same way, a warm hug always brings the same warmth no matter what package offers it to me.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

So many things happen in life and not every time everything is pleasant. Every significant event changes the life to a certain degree. Be aware of your behavior and perception towards the change. Getting stuck, blaming others or complaining may not restore the inner peace.

Reconcile with the new reality and find the best way to move forward. And when you have found your way forward, enjoy every step!

Friday, August 20, 2010

They say there is a war between two big religions in the world. What a foolish thing to say when we see, read and hear about millions of people from both religions working together, sharing personal happiness all the time. They say it not because 'It Is' but because they want it 'To Be'. The good news is that they are so few compared to all of us who are adamant to continue to enjoy and celebrate each other's lives regardless of religion, ethnicity or nationality.

They for me were the religious extremists on all sides but recently, a reputed magazine said that there is a phobia for certain religion in the US. What is this magazine trying to do, support and facilitate the dream 'they' are dreaming? Because the fact is there is no phobia for any religion in the US because if that were true then there would be clear indicators of boycott or neglect of people belonging to this beautiful religion.

I strongly appeal to those who still believe in global peace and humanitarian values to shun any effort that divides the world based on religion. Yes, there are people who do things that are not right but history witnesses that they came from all religions and all walks of life. So please please stop dividing the world or a nation based on ideas that arise from damaging and dangerous ambitions.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Taking time out to know and accept myself is important. When I am at peace with myself, it is easier to be at peace with others.

While I am in the process of improving every day, I must accept the way I am here and now. Acknowledge and feel good about every improvement and every blessing from above. I am God's creation and He doesn't make mistakes.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Many years ago, when the process of knowing my creator initiated, I felt I could burn all my negative emotions in the quest of knowing Him. I thought if religion is the way to God, it must also lead to peace. I strengthened my ties with religious leaders, tried to follow all the instructions given in our worship place.

To my disappointment, soon I realized that the people who practiced religion much more than I and for many more years were still struggling with their negative emotions. They looked down at each other, some of them were angry and there were all kinds of divisions in the religious groups. I also discovered that it was the same case for other religions as well. Then, the worst realization regarding religion broke my heart. I was told that religion/s caused most of the human bloodshed on the face of this earth. So, if religion leads to God and it also brings hatred and division, does that mean that God is a God of hatred and division?

Then I looked for people who were at peace with themselves and others. Fortunately, I did find some, although I must confess it is not easy to find them. It was interesting that some of these people were religious types and some were not. These people came from all religions and all kinds of backgrounds.

The common factor amongst all of them was that their priority was not just following a set of religious practices but they focused on their relationship with themselves and with God on day-to-day basis. They were conscious about how they conducted themselves. They tried not to hurt people or the nature around them and thereby reduced their chances of getting hurt. Wherever needed, they practiced forgiveness. They showed respect for their creator by respecting His creation. Their smiles were more long-lasting and more contagious than others'.

I understood that God is not a God of division or hatred. It is the people who go far away from God in the name of religion bring hatred and division. I feel sorry for them because they have exchanged the divine nectar into slow poison. Today, they are the ones that Peace is calling for!

Monday, August 9, 2010

When I write about peace, I often close my eyes and try to peep inside the world that is peaceful. The scene brings smile to my face and a serene peace in my being. And then, I finish writing and go back to the real world where I find myself vulnerable to all kinds of stimuli that threatens that serene peace.

Time and again, I succumb to those stimuli and betray the promise of peace. I end up shouting at my son or being upset with my husband or saying something unpleasant because of an email I received. The good news is that I do not linger on that emotion for too long. As soon as I realize my mistake, I go back to them and try to lighten up the environment.

Mistake in this context is not the deed but the way it is done. Maybe the reason because of which one is upset is correct but showing it aggressively to others is not appropriate. If one can't maintain tranquility in his/her immediate environment, how can he/she question wars? Wars are nothing but a magnified and intensified version of aggression between individuals, off-course with much more grave consequences.

Let's us take baby steps towards the global peace. Let's be aware of the calling of peace. Let's recognize that we are responsible for spreading peace in our immediate environment. Let's facilitate the repair of the broken links around us. Let's do it gently without criticism and condemnation. Let's promise ourselves that we will not give up on peace.

Peace is what we see in the beginning and at the end of human life. No matter how violent or chaotic the environment around maybe, we come into this world in peace and bid farewell to it in peace. It is a basic component of who we are and yet it becomes so difficult as we grow and develop.

If we take a moment and listen to the soft voice within, we would hear peace calling us. If we look at our respective religious books and teachings, we would find that the core messages are intertwined with compassion, hope and love that together lead to peace. Peace calls us, no matter what situation, no matter what issues in question.

If we believe that there is only one creator of all that is around us then everything comes from one source. By the virtue of faith in the almighty and His love towards the entire humanity, we are called to live in peace with His creation. If we love Him, we would love all this creation and live in peace with it.

History is a witness that taking somebody's life has never provided a solution to any problem rather it has exacerbated it. The one that can give life is the only one that can take it away. It is such a simple principle.

Peace is simple and is right within us. It is just a matter of time to find it there and allow it to work. Once it starts working, it will slowly starts spreading around. And one becomes the ambassador of peace. Merely words are poor conductors of Peace. Peace spreads wider on the wings of conduct and actions.

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About Me

Have had the honor of working with and learning from people in over 30 countries around the world. A collection of my Hindi poems was published in 2015, entitled, 'Papa Ke Joote' (my father's shoes) and my autobiography was published in 2010, entitled, 'Gudia: A Defiant Doll'. I have written extensively on issues pertaining to gender and psychosocial support post disasters and conflicts.